A study of more than 7000 Australian women has found that those undergoing a menopausal transition are likely to gain weight regardless of how closely they follow healthy eating guidelines.

A study of more than 7000 Australian women has found that those undergoing a menopausal transition are likely to gain weight regardless of how closely they follow healthy eating guidelines.

Chief investigator Professor Clare Collins*, from the University of Newcastle, said the study used a sub-sample of women from the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women’s Health (ALSWH) and compared their diet quality score, as assessed by the Australia Recommended Food Score.

”Women on average will gain two kilograms over the menopause years and the only women who resist are those who put either extra focus on their diet or extra focus on physical activity or both,” Professor Collins said.

Weight gain and low ARFS scores were common however diet quality as measured by the ARFS did not predict six-year weight gain.

Further analysis of the data did seem to suggest a link between high fruit and vegetable intake and less weight gain, which Professor Collins suspected was due to people replacing unhealthy foods with fruit and vegetables.

Professor Collins has an online quiz that gives real-time feedback of a healthy diet … see http://healthyeatingquiz.com.au/

* Professor Collins is a professor of Nutrition and Dietetics at the University of Newcastle. She is a co-director of the Priority Research Centre in Physical Activity and Nutrition at the University of Newcastle, and she is also a Fellow of the Dietitians Association of Australia.